A serious condition has a more than 60% chance of spreading to the brain if not detected early. Experts warn that certain marks on your skin could be a sign of a potentially deadly condition.
After Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp was diagnosed with multiple brain tumors, attention has been drawn to a specific illness that can have devastating consequences if left untreated.
Mellencamp revealed that she had been suffering from severe headaches for weeks before doctors discovered several malignant tumors in her brain, which had likely been growing for six months.
Having undergone 16 previous surgeries and bearing scars across her body, the 43-year-old is believed to have developed brain tumors as a result of cancer spreading from another part of her body.
In 2022, Mellencamp was diagnosed with stage two melanoma, a type of skin cancer that affects approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. annually.
Melanoma originates in melanocytes—the cells responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
“Melanoma typically starts on skin that’s often exposed to the sun. This includes the skin on the arms, back, face, and legs. Melanoma also can form in the eyes. Rarely, it can happen inside the body, such as in the nose or throat.”
Statistics from AIM at Melanoma indicate that more than 60% of Stage IV melanoma patients will eventually develop brain metastases, making early detection critical.
Experts emphasize that certain skin changes could indicate melanoma without people realizing it.
Melanoma blemishes are usually irregular in shape and appear in uneven patches of brown or black.
Moffitt Cancer Center advises that melanoma moles tend to differ in shape, size, or color from normal moles and require medical evaluation. They often have an uneven distribution of tan, brown, or black shades and may change over time.
Unfortunately, melanoma cases are rising in the U.S., with the disease claiming up to 8,000 lives each year. It is particularly dangerous because it can spread rapidly through the body without noticeable symptoms.
Once melanoma spreads to the brain, symptoms can include headaches, seizures, vision disturbances, paralysis on one side of the body, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, weakness, and fatigue, as outlined by Moffitt Cancer Center.
Alarmingly, developing melanoma may also increase the risk of unrelated cancers, such as breast, kidney, and thyroid cancer.
Treatment options for melanoma that has reached the brain include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and targeted therapies.
AIM at Melanoma states:
“Surgery is a standard treatment for melanoma brain metastases. It is potentially curative for patients whose melanoma is otherwise controlled and who have a limited number of brain metastases.”
However, surgery is typically only an option for patients with three or fewer brain tumors. Those with multiple tumors or growths in critical areas of the brain may not be candidates for surgical treatment.
